El Matador

 PC
User Score
5.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 46
  3. Negative: 16 out of 46
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  1. ChristopherS.
    Feb 22, 2007
    8
    Created using the Max Payne engine, El Matador is an unapologetic over the top action shooter. I found it a lot of fun to play and absolutely beautiful to look at, its quite simply one of the best looking games released this year. At a street price of 10 bucks you'd be fool to pass it up.
  2. Chroma
    May 30, 2012
    6
    I got El Matador from a $20 sale on all 1C games on Gamers Gate. I say this just in case it may affect how I regard the game and how you may regard it's worth. Not much to say other then it is a Eastern European game.

    Story: The story involves you as a DEA agent who is sent to Columbia to take down a drug cartel. That is literally the story. The game does give you back-story on why you    I got El Matador from a $20 sale on all 1C games on Gamers Gate. I say this just in case it may affect how I regard the game and how you may regard it's worth. Not much to say other then it is a Eastern European game.

    Story:

    The story involves you as a DEA agent who is sent to Columbia to take down a drug cartel. That is literally the story. The game does give you back-story on why you are in each location but other then that there is no additional story until the beginning of the final two levels in chapter 6. It's weird as it feels like the game was meant to have a bigger story due to how they introduced the characters in the first three chapters, but then the rest of the chapters don't do that. It feels kind of trolly as it gets you interested but fails to take off. Just imagine the exciting moment of a launch of a shuttle except it never takes off when the announcer says liftoff. It's a shame as the story could have been interesting with all the pieces of characters and settings they had.

    Game-play:

    El Matador is a third person Max Paine clone that is old school style. It was literally made with the Max Payne 2 engine and has the same weapons. This means there is no hand holding, no recharging health and armor, controls well, responds quick, and it's tough on hard. The game is made up of 7 chapters that are made up of 2-3 levels. You travel to locations and kill all enemies. Along the way you will encounter bosses that can take a lot of damage but are relatively easy since they keep their distance for the most part. It's fun though it does have flaws. The game is is fair with reasonably placed enemies in the first 4 chapters and in chapter 5. Chapter 4 and the last 2 levels of chapter 6 though are not done well. Chapter 4's is not bad but the way enemies will spawn at certain distances is noticeable and annoying due to the big environment. Chapter 6's problems is that the challenge makes a big jump with everyone throwing grenades, poor enemies placements, death traps, and a ridiculously hard final boss. These problems can be mitigated though using the slow down which recharges by killing enemies. It feels like they kind of became lazy with the last 2 levels and made it hard for the sake of being a hard finale.

    There is a minor issue of practically all guns are worthless except for the assault rifles due to them being overpowered. Assault rifles have the best range, accuracy, minimal recoil, high damage, use the same ammo, plentiful, and latter you get an assault rifle with a scope that makes the assault rifle perfect. It's a shame that other guns are not useful as their are so many guns to use. The game will take relatively about 20 hours to complete. It's a decent game that I enjoyed playing.

    Graphics/Sound:

    Graphics are nice and detailed with no real noticeable flaws. It's not going to blow your mind with cinematic looks of the console games of 2006 and beyond but that is fine. It kind of feels refreshing compared to the brown, bloom saturated graphics of today, that feels all the same to me. It looks like a 2005 game that can do wide-screen resolutions. Sounds through the game are good. The voice acting ranges from sounding South American like, to really lame accents though it's rare that they are bad. There is new music in almost every level except the last which reuses the some of the prologues music. The music is nice action movie rock style that gets you into the mood of combat.

    Conclusion:
    El matador is a decent, solid, Max Payne clone that I had fun playing. The game play is good through most of the game with it only becoming bad in the last two levels. The game really lacks in story but the fun makes up for it. I can't recommend it but you can buy it at Gamers Gate for $10.    … Expand
  3. CrusherTM
    Dec 25, 2012
    7
    Well, i like this game. El Matador isn't as good as Max Payne, but this game gives a fun. Can not recommend to everyone, but for sure for people who do not require more than a decent shooting.
  4. PatrickW.
    Jan 19, 2007
    0
    This game sucks complete a**. You can't move anywhere without getting hit. They ripped Max Payne and made the controls awkward and crappy.
  5. TomM.
    Aug 11, 2007
    0
    Ok good/average grpahics... it stops there. I played it for about 15minutes, felt ok, after an hour I was bored. The game reminded me so of Max Payne II, so I ended up playing that instead, even though I know it in and out. End of story.
  6. SamuelG.
    Sep 19, 2006
    2
    Clearly rushed out before being finished, full of bugs and glitches. Uninspiring and unoriginal gameplay, deeply lacklustre graphics, terrible voice-acting. Avoid.
  7. Steeldude
    Apr 15, 2015
    5
    I have a riddle for you: Take a bad game that only revolves around a single gimmick (Max Payne) and make it even worse in all aspects. What do you get? El Matador. Is it fun? Nope.
  8. r03vg
    Apr 17, 2020
    1
    Похоже на дешевую копию Макса Пейна с примесью лютейшего шпионского боевика. Получилось не очень.
  9. Colt1911
    Sep 17, 2006
    6
    Graphics 9.5/10 Sound 6/10 Gameplay 4/10 This game lacks a way to take cover, greatly needed in the intense gunbattles with multiple enemies. You are left to either strafe to/from cover, or charge into battle. I read that this was a 'tatical' game. Well it isnt. The gameplay is very arcade-like given that it takes a billion bullets to kill you. And tho I havent played a Graphics 9.5/10 Sound 6/10 Gameplay 4/10 This game lacks a way to take cover, greatly needed in the intense gunbattles with multiple enemies. You are left to either strafe to/from cover, or charge into battle. I read that this was a 'tatical' game. Well it isnt. The gameplay is very arcade-like given that it takes a billion bullets to kill you. And tho I havent played a 'stealth' mission, I can already tell that the gameplay is not designed for duck-and-hide. There isnt even a walk, with no movement speed control how are you supposed to be 'stealthy'? The AI is really plain vanilla, they just kind of take cover and dig in. anyway this game only got a 6 because of the graphics, if the graphics wernt so clean it would get a 3 overall.… Expand
  10. iddqd4
    Feb 13, 2018
    6
    このテキストは私のプロフィールにスコアが表示されるようにここにあります。
  11. RTCWFAN
    Aug 28, 2023
    7
    Good but short action game full of over the top moments. At times the visuals are a bit cheap but all in all this game is a banger. Overall rating: 6.8.
  12. Rafshan
    Apr 12, 2022
    10
    I played this game, it's very cool, it's a pity that few people know about it

Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 24
  3. Negative: 5 out of 24
  1. RewiredMind
    70
    Sometimes, try as you might, you can’t put your finger on what makes a game fun to play, and this is one of those occasions.
    Read full review
  2. Jolt Online Gaming UK
    78
    Everything about the game is over-the-top, including the story, and in our book that’s no bad thing. Like diving around and shooting bad guys in slow motion? Buy this.
    Read full review
  3. GamesRadar+
    40
    El Matador may be fine to play for a few hours but it's not worth a long-term or full-price commitment.
    Read full review
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